Extension car-step.



No. 876,186. PATENTBD JANS/11908.

P. E. HOPKINS. v EXTENSION CAR. STEP.

APPLICATION FILED 00T. l5, 1907.

(w r11 f fri? a p r @il inf?? UNITED fillilif" FFICE.

Specification of' Letters latent.

Patented Jan. 7, 1908.

Application filed tObCY l5; 1907, lSerial No. 397.549.

T 0 all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, Flnnncm'ck E. Hor- KIs, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Sterling, in the county oli-Cayuga-and State ot NewYork, have invented a new and useful Extension (ar-qtep, of which thcfol-v lowing is a pecification.

The invention relates to .improvements in extension car steps.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction ofextension car steps, and to provide a simple, inexpensive and efficientone of great strength and durability, adapted to be readily fixed to thesteps of a railway passenger car or coach, and

capable of being easily lowered into position for use, and raised alteruse by a single move ment of an operating level'.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in theconstruction and novel combination of parts hereinafter fully described,illustrated in the accompai'lying drawing, and pointed out in the claimshereto a pended; it being understood that various cfianges in the form,proportion, size and minor' details of construction, within the scope ofthe claims, may be resorted to without departing from the s'irit orsacrificing any of the advantages of tl ie invention.

i In the drawing Figure 41 is a perspective View of an extension carstep, constructed in accordance with this invention and shown applied toa car, the car step being lowered to forni a continuation of the carsteps. Fig. 2

,is a front elevation of the. same, the extension step being raised.Fig. 3 is a detail view of the extension step and the bottom port-ion ofthe slidable step carrying frame.

Like numerals ot' reference designate con responding parts in all thefigures of the drawing.

1 designates an extension car step, designcd to be applied to apassenger car or coach and adapted to bc arranged below and in spacedrelation to the lower car step 2, as illustrated in Fig. 1 of thedrawing to forni a continuation of the car steps and enable passengersto readily enter and leave the car. rThe car step, which, when not inuse, is arranged against the lower face of the bottom step 2, asillustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawmg, is carried by a slidablc frame,composed of inclined sides 3 and a transverse bottom connecting portion4, receiving the extension step l and provided with a centralsubstantiallyv U-shaped bend 5, extending forwardly and secured tothelower face of the extension step by means of a central fastening device6. The transverse connecting portion is'secured to the extension step atopposite sides of the forward ly extending loop by means of fasteningdevices 7, as clearly shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing. These fasteningdevices may consist of staples, and any number may be'employcd to securea rigid connection between the extension step and the slidable frame.

The sides S of the car steps are provided with alined guides 9,receiving the inclined sides of the slida'ole frame and consisting of cves and attaching portions, secured to the sides b vsuitable fasteningdevices. VThe sides of the slidablc frame are adapted to move upward lvand downwardly in the alined eyes of the guides 9, and the downwardmovement of the frame is limited by collars S". semn'ed to the up erends of the sides of the slidable frame an( arranged to engage the upperguides, The outer side of the. slidable frame is connected at its upperend by a link 1() with a short arm 11 of an operating lever 12,fulcrumedat its angle and secured tothe re'ar edge. of the platform ofthe car by means of a suitablepivot 13. rI`he o erating lever,y whichswings transversely o the car, extends to the top of the railing, and isprovided at its upper end with a grip or handle. The up er ends of theinner and outer sides of the sIfidable frame are -provided with eyes 14,and the link l() has a corresponding eye, which is linked into the eye14 of the outer side of thc-slidable frame. Bv providing the eye 14 atboth the inner and outer sides of the slidable frame, the extension stepmay be mounted et both the rightand left hand sides of a car. The up )ereind 15 of the link is bent :it an angle to form a pivot, which passesthrough an c vc or opening 16 of the short arm of the operating lever.The pivot 15' is secured in the eye or opening 16 by means of a nut 17,or other suitable fastening device.

The lever is oscillatcd to raiseand-lower the' extension step, and thelatter is retained in its raised position by means of a suitable keeper1S. consisting of 'a horizontally disposed substantially U-shapcd bodyportion, provided at one side with a vertical arm 19, which is equippedwith an c ve 20. The eye 2() is'arranged on the railing of the platform,

. the front portion ofthe avales and is adjustably secured on the me byi erating mechanism for raising and lowering means of a set screw 21,W'hen the lever is i` the slidable frame. at the limit of its inwardmovement, it is enl 2. The combination with a ear, of an eX- gagedl withthe keeper 18 and is held by the tension step arranged beneath the earsteps, same against outward movement. a frame slidable on the ear stepsand extend- Having thiis fully described my invention, I ing beneath andsup orting the extension what I claim as new and desire to secure bystep, a lever fulerumedpon the platform of the Letters Patent, is earand having a'short arm7 a linK eonneetin 1. The combination with earIsteps prol the short arm with the outer side of the slidable frame, anda substantially U-shaped vided at opposite sides with guides, of anextenslon step located beneath the ear step, a Keeper arranged to beengaged by the lever, i sii( keeper being provided with an armhavslidable frame composed of sides movable up- I C wardly and downwardIy' in the guides, and a mg an eye adjustably secured to the ralllngcar.

transverse bottom connecting portion reeeivl of the ing the extensionstep and provided at a oint In testimony, that I claim the foregoing asbetween its ends with an approximate y U- l my own, I have heretoaiiixed my signature shaped loop or bend extending forwardly to in thepresence of two witnesses.

extension step, fas- FREDERICK E. HOPKINS. tening devices for securingthe loop or bend Vitnesses:

and the side portions ofthe bottom of the A. JOHNSON,

slidable frame to the extension step, and opi GEO. MoFARLANn,

